Atlas Master Gunderson Mult-Max Auto Carrier - Conversion to Kadee 740/745

Mike, that is a very awesome write up for sure! Thanks for sharing!

Good write-up. Makes me want to take a look at changing out the couplers on mine.

Very well communicated and depicted. Thanks, Mike!

Thanks Mike!

Wow, you were able to pry off that cover without breaking any of the under frame details. Call me very impressed. When it releases it tends to go places unknown at the speed of sound damaging things along the way.  I've been chicken to try so as to replace those couplers with Protocraft couplers.

Are you talking the Atlas gearbox cover or something else?  If the atlas gearbox cover is what you're talking about, I've found over the years those two methods usually work if you're not in a hurry and just take it slow.   Also, something to think about is if you're not wanting to save the atlas gearbox you can take some smaller cutters and just clip the sides and you don't get the pop and zing that sometimes happens if you twist the screwdriver blade with too much force.

I often save those Atlas gearboxes in case others need them.

Thanks for the information, Mike.   The boys from Atlas had told me about the 4 screw removal, but I knew it would be a bit more involved.  Probably after the first one, the others go easier once you figure out just what to do.   Kudos for the photos as well!

Yeah, The more you do the more confidence you will get, the easier and faster it will go.  Just have to be careful so that no parts get bent way out of proportion or actually break. 

A 2nd BNSF car was completed using the same techniques as noted above.  I completed the car to this stage in less than 20 minutes taking my time so nothing was broken.  So while there is more to this conversion than just slapping on some kadees, it's not a huge time investment.

Seen here prior to giving the knuckles a little paint with one of Scale Models Division's EoT's,  If you haven't seen these EoT's yet, I would check them out as they slide right into the Kadee gearbox so for operations they are amazing and easy to add to the last car on your train and then remove.  Thanks Serge!   I may add an air line to this EoT to help complete the effect.

Check out the video here of the SMD O scale EoT - SMD-O-202

First pass at the added airline to the EoT.  Once the hose had fully set I will heat it up a bit and shape it a little better.

Got the airhose on the EoT shaped a little better and lining up with the airline and gladhand on the car's airhose.

Nice job with the EOT.

Regarding the EOTs, I use the Mac Rail HO EOTs, as they look better than their O version, and they do hang off the O KDs just fine!      Now, for the Atlas cars, I will have 5 to convert to KDs soon.....

Richard,  I have both Serge's and Greg's EoT's both are great!

Post some photos of your conversions!

Mike, will do once I get going on these.  Will be while of course , waiting to pick up the rest of the cars from Merlyn in a few weeks.

Mike,

thanks for this conversion guide, this is really helpful! I'm also working on getting sets of Proto48 wheelsets made for these 28" wheels, and if I'm successful I'll share here as well for anyone who might be interested.

John

@jgtrh62 posted:

Mike,

thanks for this conversion guide, this is really helpful! I'm also working on getting sets of Proto48 wheelsets made for these 28" wheels, and if I'm successful I'll share here as well for anyone who might be interested.

John

That's awesome John! 

Can't wait to see these with P48 wheelsets and working knuckle couplers (not the atlas ones)!   Are you using Kadee's, PC, Jimmy's or something else these days?

@jgtrh62 posted:

Mike,

thanks for this conversion guide, this is really helpful! I'm also working on getting sets of Proto48 wheelsets made for these 28" wheels, and if I'm successful I'll share here as well for anyone who might be interested.

John

Have you contacted Jay Criswell @right-o-way?  

@Mike DeBerg posted:

That's awesome John! 

Can't wait to see these with P48 wheelsets and working knuckle couplers (not the atlas ones)!   Are you using Kadee's, PC, Jimmy's or something else these days?

Thanks Mike!

I haven’t decided yet, I currently use a hodgepodge of different couplers and they all work well together so I’ll likely just continue on doing so. I like the Kadee 74x series couplers a whole lot, and they operate great with the latest revision of Protocraft’s couplers, and most of my Atlas couplers. I have not seen a set of Jimmy’s couplers yet so I’ll try to find a set of those and check them out.

John

@rdunniii posted:

Have you contacted Jay Criswell @right-o-way?  

Not yet Richard but plan to ask Jay his thoughts on the matter. I experimented with a set of NWSL’s Proto48 28” shouldered wheelsets and can get them to work, barely, but the axle length is too short to pick up the spinning bearing caps, the shoulder diameter is also incorrect for this application. I am also fabricating a Proto48 bolster to use with the existing truck side frames. I am contacting NWSL to see if they can do a bulk order of axles based on specifications I provide, since they already make the 28” treads. I plan to ask Jay the same, so hopefully one of them will be able to accommodate the request.

John

Another person/source to try is Jerry Snow at Accurate O Scale.  He was at the National in Denver and had trucks to sell but...  he made some awesome trucks that are P48 but he never made any 70T trucks with 28" wheels either.  But now I can't find any contact information for him.

@rdunniii posted:

Another person/source to try is Jerry Snow at Accurate O Scale.  He was at the National in Denver and had trucks to sell but...  he made some awesome trucks that are P48 but he never made any 70T trucks with 28" wheels either.  But now I can't find any contact information for him.

Great info, thanks! I have Jerry’s contact info here somewhere.

I have attempted to replace the 33" wheels on Protocraft 70T trucks but whoa boy are they a PITA to disassemble.  They actually have 9 springs in each side frame.  If I can get an axle out of one Jay can copy it with 28" wheels as Norm has said he will not make them.  I have another source that can also copy the Protocraft axle with 28" P48 wheels in Korea.  I think the minimum would be 500-1000 axles.

@jgtrh62 posted:

Thanks Mike!

I haven’t decided yet, I currently use a hodgepodge of different couplers and they all work well together so I’ll likely just continue on doing so. I like the Kadee 74x series couplers a whole lot, and they operate great with the latest revision of Protocraft’s couplers, and most of my Atlas couplers. I have not seen a set of Jimmy’s couplers yet so I’ll try to find a set of those and check them out.

John

John, there is also a new player in the coupler market and he would produce O Scale couplers if he gets enough interest.   You might have seen him on FB with all of his HO couplers and now he is doing S scale.  I gotta believe we would have as many orders if not more!

Eric Xing ! (16) Inventive Models | Facebook

Some examples of couplers he has produced in HO

Thanks Mike, definitely going to check this out.

Mike,   on your conversion, how come you chose to use one  2-56 screw , rather than 2   1-72 screws like the other Atlas cars?      Is it due to clearance issues (other parts in the way?).     Right now I am prepping the couplers, i.e.  painting couplers screws and boxes.    The install will be later as time is available.     Thank you in advance......

@R Nelson It's simply a matter of my chosen standard size screw that I use.  So personal preference is the answer.

I feel it helps reduce the play in the gearbox by not using a smaller diameter screw, basically not allowing the head of the screw to sink below the gearbox cover, especially in the plastic gearbox (#817).   The other factor and maybe the real reason is I purchased a rather large supply of 2-56 screws from Micro Fasteners that I need to work through...

IIRC

1-72 - .073

2-56 - .086

Mike, okay, that sounds reasonable enough!    I was not sure if it was due to a clearance issue, i.e. not enough room for getting the rear screw in.   I have plenty of both sizes, so I might try the 1-72s, and can go to the 2-56s if they seem the better direction.   BTW, I painted my metal  Kadee boxes ( and screws )  using Rustoleum Tuscan Sun Yellow, which looks like a dead on match to the yellow used on the Atlas Multi Max cars.    One drawback was, the so called adjustable spray nozzle is a P.O.S.........  however,  spraying from a distance of a few feet, coverage was a series of light dustings that worked just fine.

Well, I finished my conversions last week, using the longer 746 couplers with metal boxes on my cars.  Thanks to Mike D., the work went well, taking a while for the first car, but the rest were much quicker to get done!   Taking ones time is the key to not destroying things!   There were a few parts loose all ready right out the gate, so reattaching with a plastic weld type cement was easy.   It is too bad, Atlas did not use brass details, rather than the plastic that was used, as this may have been a better choice to prevent "pop offs"......    Either way, the cars came out great.    I was only able to use one 1-72 screw per end, as the second hole was in-accessible to get a screw into.   A micro drop of Walther's Goo helped solve this issue.   After the screw was cranked down, things will not move.   Now onto flat finish, and weathering the cars!

@R Nelson posted:

Well, I finished my conversions last week, using the longer 746 couplers with metal boxes on my cars.  Thanks to Mike D., the work went well, taking a while for the first car, but the rest were much quicker to get done!   Taking ones time is the key to not destroying things!   There were a few parts loose all ready right out the gate, so reattaching with a plastic weld type cement was easy.   It is too bad, Atlas did not use brass details, rather than the plastic that was used, as this may have been a better choice to prevent "pop offs"......    Either way, the cars came out great.    I was only able to use one 1-782 screw per end, as the second hole was in-accessible to get a screw into.   A micro drop of Walther's Goo helped solve this issue.   After the screw was cranked down, things will not move.   Now onto flat finish, and weathering the cars!

Great to hear you were able to complete some conversations!  interested in seeing some photos !

Mike, I will once a get a chance.   Finished weathering them just a few days ago, and trying to get a whole lot of projects finished before the March Meet.   The Atlas cars are really nice models, and do look better with some light weathering.   The conversions went surprisingly  good, with the first one taking the longest to do, which would be expected.    Will try and get some pics before the March Meet.   Are you going to be there??    Looks like it'll be a good show this year.